The DOI matches its Crossref record; 12 of the 12 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Itch: scratching more than the surface
Abstract
In origin, itch can be cutaneous ("pruritoceptive", e.g. dermatitis), neuropathic (e.g. multiple sclerosis), neurogenic (e.g. cholestasis), mixed (e.g. uraemia) or psychogenic. Although itch of cutaneous origin shares a common neural pathway with pain, the afferent C-fibres subserving this type of itch are a functionally distinct subset: they respond to histamine, acetylcholine and other pruritogens, but are insensitive to mechanical stimuli. Histamine is the main mediator for itch in insect bite reactions and in most forms of urticaria, and in these circumstances the itch responds well to H(1)-antihistamines. However, in most dermatoses and in systemic disease, low-sedative H(1)-antihistamines are ineffective. Opioid antagonists relieve itch caused by spinal opioids, cholestasis and, possibly, uraemia. Ondansetron relieves itch caused by spinal opioids (but not cholestasis and uraemia). Other drug treatments for itch include rifampicin, colestyramine and 17-alpha alkyl androgens (cholestasis), thalidomide (uraemia), cimetidine and corticosteroids (Hodgkin's lymphoma), paroxetine (paraneoplastic itch), aspirin and paroxetine (polycythaemia vera) and indometacin (some HIV+ patients). If the remedies specified fail, paroxetine and mirtazapine should be considered. Ultraviolet B therapy, particularly narrow-band UVB, may be superior to drug treatment for itch in uraemia.
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Cites
Bergasa, N. V., Alling, D. W., Talbot, T. L., Swain, M. G., Yurdaydin, C., Turner, M. L., Schmitt, J. M., Walker, E. C., & Jones, E. A. (1995) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-123-3-199508010-00001 · Cited by 365
Oral naltrexone treatment for cholestatic pruritus: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study
Wolfhagen, F., Sternieri, E., Hop, W., Vitale, G., Bertolotti, M., & Van Buuren, H. (1997) · Gastroenterology · doi:10.1053/gast.1997.v113.pm9322521 · Cited by 343
A controlled trial of naloxone infusions for the pruritus of chronic cholestasis
Bergasa, N. V., Talbot, T. L., Alling, D. W., Schmitt, J. M., Walker, E. C., Baker, B. L., Korenman, J. C., Park, Y., Hoofnagle, J. H., & Jones, E. A. (1992) · Gastroenterology · doi:10.1016/0016-5085(92)90102-5 · Cited by 287
Treatment of pruritus of primary biliary cirrhosis with rifampin
Podesta, A., Lopez, P., Terg, R., Villamil, F., Flores, D., Mastai, R., Udaondo, C. B., & Companc, J. P. (1991) · Digestive Diseases and Sciences · doi:10.1007/bf01300759 · Cited by 267
COMPARISON OF RIFAMPICIN WITH PHENOBARBITONE FOR TREATMENT OF PRURITUS IN BILIARY CIRRHOSIS
Bachs, L., Elena, M., Parés, A., Piera, C., & Rodés, J. (1989) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(89)91608-5 · Cited by 231
Jones, A. E., & Bergasa, N. V. (1999) · Hepatology · doi:10.1002/hep.510290450 · Cited by 202
Open‐label trial of oral nalmefene therapy for the pruritus of cholestasis
Bergasa, N. V., Schmitt, J. M., Talbot, T. L., Alling, D. W., Swain, M. G., Turner, M. L., Jenkins, J. B., & Jones, A. E. (1998) · Hepatology · doi:10.1002/hep.510270307 · Cited by 182
Cholestyramine for long term relief of the pruritus complicating intrahepatic cholestasis
Datta, D. V., & Sherlock, S. (1966) · Gastroenterology · doi:10.1016/s0016-5085(66)80071-9 · Cited by 181
Bergasa, N. V., Alling, D. W., Talbot, T. L., Wells, M. C., & Jones, E. A. (1999) · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · doi:10.1016/s0190-9622(99)70117-9 · Cited by 163
Phenobarbital Effects in Cholestatic Liver Disease
BLOOMER, J. R., & BOYER, J. L. (1975) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-82-3-310 · Cited by 120
Cited by
Neuronal Control of Skin Function: The Skin as a Neuroimmunoendocrine Organ
Roosterman, D., Goerge, T., Schneider, S. W., Bunnett, N. W., & Steinhoff, M. (2006) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.00026.2005 · Cited by 665
Cytokines and chemokines orchestrate atopic skin inflammation
Homey, B., Steinhoff, M., Ruzicka, T., & Leung, D. Y. M. (2006) · Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology · doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2006.03.047 · Cited by 579
Yosipovitch, G., Greaves, M. W., & Schmelz, M. (2003) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(03)12570-6 · Cited by 388
Frontiers in pruritus research: scratching the brain for more effective itch therapy
Paus, R. (2006) · Journal of Clinical Investigation · doi:10.1172/jci28553 · Cited by 373
Mediators of Chronic Pruritus in Atopic Dermatitis: Getting the Itch Out?
Mollanazar, N. K., Smith, P. K., & Yosipovitch, G. (2016) · Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology · doi:10.1007/s12016-015-8488-5 · Cited by 353
Metadata
- Authors
- Twycross, R.
- Venue
- QJM
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2003-01-01
- Volume
- 96
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 7-26
- ISSN
- 0033-5622 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2393
- OpenAlex
- W2006159146
- Cited by
- 407
- References
- 12
- FWCI
- 21.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).
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